Brace-block.



No.843,948. PATENTED FEB. 12, 1907.

H. KAM ERZEL & C. W. SCHOFIELD. BRAGE BLOCK.

APPLICATION FILED DEG. 20. 1906.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BRACE-BLOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 12, 1907.

Applicationfiled December 20, 1906. Serial No. 348,717-

To all rah/071v it may concern.-

Be it known that we, HENRY KAMERZEL and CLARENCE W. ScHorIELn, citizens of the United States, residing at Naugatuck, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Brace-Blocks and we do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, 1n-

Figure 1, a perspective view of a braceblock constructed in accordance with our invention and shown in connection with the rail and tie; Fig. 2, a top or plan view of the brace-block detached; Fig. 3, a side view, partially in section, of the same.

This invention relates to an improvement in brace-blocks for railway-rails for use at curves or other necessary points to prevent the rail from tilting, the object of the invention being a simple arrangement of parts which may be readily applied to rails already laid and which can be adjusted as required and the invention consists in the construction as hereinafter described, and particularly recited in the claims.

In carrying out our invention we employ a U-shaped plate 2, adapted to rest upon the top of a railway-tie 3 and having arms 4 5, formed with flanges 6, which extend down over the sides of the tie. The ends of the arms are turned upward and inward, forming hooks 7, while the central portion is increased in thickness, forming a bearing 8, which has an inclined threaded opening to receive a screw 9, the inner end of which is swiveled in a block 10, so that the screw may be turned without turning the block. This screw is formed with an angular portion 11 adjacent to the block, by which the screw may be conveniently turned for moving the block to ward or from the rail 12. Also mounted on the screw adjacent to the bearing 8 is a jamnut 13. The plate 2 is also provided with perforations 14, through which spikes may be passed to attach the plate to the tie. After the rail is spiked or secured to the tie in the usual manner the plate 2 is placed on the tie and the hooked ends 7 engaged with the inner edge of the rail-flange. The plate is then spiked to the tie and the screw 9 turned to force the block 10 against the outer face of the rail and suflicient pressure put upon the screw to hold the block in place. When thus turned, the jam-nut 13 is turned against the bearing 8 to hold the screw against rotation. This device can be arranged on. the outside of either rail, according to the direction of the tendency to tilt, and this device will not only prevent tilting, but the arms 4 5 will take the downward pressure of the rail and prevent the rail from cutting into the face of the tie, a difliculty now experienced and which necessitates a frequent adjustment of the rail and frequent cutting away of the tie for the purpose of leveling.

We claim 1. The herein-described brace-block comprising a Ushaped plate having hooked ends, and a centrally-arranged bearing, a screw extending through said bearing, a block swiveled to the end of said screw, substantially as described.

2. The herein-described brace-block comprising a U-shaped plate having its arms formed with downwardly-extending fingers, said arms terminating in hooks, said plate formed at its central portion with a screwbearing, a screw extending through said bearing, a block swiveled to the outer end of said screw, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY KAMERZEL. CLARENCE W. SCHOFIELD.

Witnesses:

S. D. BINGHAM, E. C. CURREY. 

